US stock futures dip as Trump’s firing of Cook sparks Fed independence fears
Investing.com -- Moderna Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) stock fell 5.5% and Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) shares dropped 2.6% following reports from Newsweek and The Daily Beast that the Trump administration may be planning to ban COVID-19 vaccines in the coming months.
The potential move was reported by British cardiologist Dr. Aseem Malhotra, who told the Daily Beast that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump are allegedly planning to phase out the COVID-19 vaccine "within months." Malhotra, a vaccine skeptic and Kennedy associate, claimed the decision is supported by "influential" members of Trump’s family.
Malhotra, who advises the lobby group MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) Action, suggested the ban could be implemented gradually or through "one clean decision," despite potential legal ramifications and public concern.
The White House has since denied these claims. "The Administration is relying on Gold Standard Science and is committed to radical transparency to make decisions that affect all Americans," White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement to Newsweek. He added that "any discussion about HHS policy should be dismissed as baseless speculation" unless officially announced.
An HHS spokesperson told Newsweek the agency does not comment on potential policy decisions.
The report comes years after Trump previously described the vaccine’s development during the pandemic as a "monumental achievement." Moderna and Pfizer were among the leading manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States.
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